In general, a storage container has a space for accommodating articles (e.g., foods, beverages, etc.) therein. In case where the storage container is a cup holder, since cans or drinks etc. are mainly formed in a cylindrical shape, the cup holder is formed in a cylindrical shape as well.
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a conventional cup holder. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional cup holder 50 is formed in a circular shape, when viewed from above. When the cup holder 50 accommodates a can or a drink of a cylindrical shape, the side of the can or the drink gets in a line contact with the inner surface of the cup holder 50. In other words, in order for the can or the drink to be easily inserted into the cup holder 50, the cup holder 50 is formed in a circular shape having a larger diameter than that of the can or the drink. In this case, when the can or the drink is inserted into the cup holder 50, the side of the can or the drink gets in a line contact with the inner surface of the cup holder 50.
As described above, in case of forming the cup holder 50 in a circle shape, the side of the can or the drink may make only one line contact with the inner surface of the cup holder 50, which results in deteriorating the heat transfer efficiency from the cup holder 50 to the can or the drink. For example, in case where a thermoelectric element is formed in the holder cup for cooling or heating the cup holder 50, only one line contact between the cup holder 50 and the can or the drink is made, and thereby the heat transfer efficiency from the cup holder 50 to the can or the drink deteriorates.
Meanwhile, the storage container is usually manufactured in a shape in a way that the side of the storage container is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the storage container. Conventionally, such a shape of storage container was manufactured, for example, by an injection molding method or a pressing method. However, in case where the storage container is manufactured in a shape in a way that the side of the storage container is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the storage container, a take-out gradient needed to be applied to a mold in order to easily take out the storage container from the mold after completing the injection molding process or the pressing process.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, in case where a storage container 20 is manufactured in a shape in a way that the side of the storage container 20 is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the storage container 20, a take-out gradient (θ) needed to be applied to the side of a mold 10 in order to easily take out the storage container 20 from the mold 10. In order to explain the concept of the take-out gradient (θ), the angle of the take-out gradient (θ) is shown to be slightly exaggerated. However, in general the angle of the take-out gradient (θ) corresponds to 1˜2°.
As such, the storage container 20 manufactured by applying the take-out gradient (θ) has an inclination corresponding to the angle of the take-out gradient (θ) in the side thereof, and thus in practice, the side and the bottom surface of the storage container 20 are not capable of making an exact right angle. Consequently, when the beverage can or the water bottle, etc. is accommodated in the storage container 20, the beverage can or the water bottle is not capable of getting in a close contact with the side of the storage container 20 and is spaced apart from each other at a distance.
Then, since the beverage can or the water bottle substantially gets in contact with the bottom surface of the storage container 20 only, even though the storage container 20 is cooled or heated using a thermoelectric element, the heat transfer efficiency deteriorates from the storage container 20 to the beverage can or the water bottle. In other words, since in the conventional storage container 20, the heat transfer is made only through the bottom surface of the storage container 20, there is a problem that the heat transfer efficiency from the storage container 20 to the article deteriorates.